The Top 40 Pop Music Charts of the 1910s

Explore a list of the top 40 pop music charts of the 1910s. These songs reflect the changing times, with a mix of old-fashioned ballads and newer, more upbeat tunes.

1910

It’s the start of a new decade, and the charts are filled with a mix of old and new faces. artists like Enrico Caruso and Scott Joplin occupy the top spot, while newer artists like Irving Berlin and Nora Bayes are slowly making their way up. There’s something for everyone on this list, so take a look and see what was popular a hundred years ago.

Top songs of 1910

1. “In the Sweet Bye and Bye” – Caruso
2. “Swanee” – Al Jolson
3. “Mandy” – James Reed
4. “Somebody”- Al Jolson
5. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” – Irving Berlin
6. “Sleepy Time Gal”- Joseph C. Smith’s Orchestra
7. “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” – James Reed
8. “My Wild Irish Rose” – James Reed
9. “School Days (When We Were a Couple of Kids) – Charles W. Harrison
10. “Darktown Strutters’ Ball‭‬‬ – Original Dixieland Jass Band

Notable events in pop music in 1910

In 1910, Enrico Caruso remained the top-selling recording artist, with “Vieni Sul Mar” and other hits. Billboard magazine debuted its pop music charts in January 1910, with “Vieni Sul Mar” by Caruso at #1. Other songs in the top 5 were “I Lost My Heart in Dixieland” by Walter Van Brunt, “Little Grey Home in the West” by Dame Nellie Melba,
“Down by the Old Mill Stream” by quartet The Haydn Quartet, and “In the Village of Athlone” by James F. Harrison. In May 1910, “In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree” by Van Brunt became the first #1 song on Billboard’s newly created pop music chart.

1911

The year 1911 in music involved some significant events.Contents

Top songs of 1911

1911 was a big year for pop music, with a number of now-classic songs being released. Here are the top 40 songs of 1911, as determined by Billboard magazine:

1. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” – Irving Berlin
2. “When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam'” – Irving Berlin
3. “In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree” – Harry Von Tilzer
4. “Put On Your Old Gray Bonnet” – Percy Wenrich
5. “I Want a Girl (Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad)” – Harry Von Tilzer
6. “The Crinoline Ball” – Tony Jackson
7. “The Limit” – Irving Berlin
8. “Everybody Works but Father” – Jean Schwartz
9. “Down Went McGinty” – Terence Casey
10. “Mr. Johnson, Turn Me Loose” – Bert Williams
11. “Sweet Adeline” – Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
12. “Somebody Stole My Gal” – Ted Weems
13. “‘Deed I Do” – Walter Hirsch and Fred Rose
14. “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” – Leo Friedman and Beth Slater Whitson
15. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” – Traditional
16. “(Come Josephine) In My Flying Machine” – Fred Fisher and Alfred Bryan
17.”Waltz Me Around Again, Willie” – Kerry Mills 18.”When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” Ernest Rinken and George Graff Jr 19.”I Was Made for Lovin’ You, Baby (And You Were Made for Lovin’ Me)” Joe Sinnott 20.”By the Light of the Silvery Moon” Gus Edwards 21.”I Want to Be in Dixie (Dixie’s Land)” Bert Lee 22.”She Never Tells Me Her Age (But She Looks Good)” Will Marion Cook 23.”Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight?” George Elliot 24.”On a Sunday Afternoon (Down in Mobile Alabama)” Jean Schwartz and Bert Williams 25.”Oh! You Beautiful Doll!” Averell Harris 26.”Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” Hughie Cannon 27.”Skid-Dat-De-Dat!” Clarence Williams 28.”Confess!” Jean Schwartz 29.”Smiles!” Jules Jordan 30.”EverybodyTwo Step!” Kerry Mills 31.”Red Wing!” Kerry Mills 32.(Take Me Back to My) Boots and Saddle! Traditional 33.(Oh Dem) Golden Slippers! James Blake 34.(It Takes) A Little Bit of This And Little Bit of That To Make This World Go Round Red Nichols 35.(There’ll Be A) Hot Time in the Town of Berlin Tony Jackson 36.(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs Of Dover Sam M Lewis 37.(We’re Gonna Hang Out) The Washing On The Siegfried Line Gus Elen 38.’Way Down Yonder In New Orleans Spencer Williams 39.’S Wonderful! George Gershwin 40.’Snuggled On Your Chest Deezer D

Notable events in pop music in 1911

1911 was a notable year in pop music. Ragtime was still popular, but there were signs that the genre was beginning to decline in popularity. Steel guitarists such as Sylvester Weaver and W. A. Mathieu were beginning to gain popularity, and performances by artists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson and Ma Rainey helped to popularize the blues. Jelly Roll Morton released his first recordings, andwould go on to become one of the most important figures in early jazz.Country music also began to gain popularity, with recordings by artists such as Fiddlin’ John Carson and Ernest V. Stoneman becoming hits.

1912

The top songs of 1912 were: 1. “School Days (When We Were a Couple of Kids)” by Charles Wesley 2. “Waiting for the Robert E. Lee” by Lewis F. Muir 3. “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” by Alfred Bryan 4. “What’ll You Do with the Baby-O?” by Harry Von Tilzer 5. “In the Good Old Summertime” by Ren Shields

Top songs of 1912

1. “School Days” by Charles Tindley
2. ” Alexander’s Ragtime Band” by Irving Berlin
3. “The 1912 Rag” by Paul Biese Trio
4. ” Waitin’ for the Robert E. Lee” by Lewis F. Muir and Lida Rose Myers
5. ” casey would waltz with the strawberry blonde” by Charles E. Prince
6. ” Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer” by Bessie Smith
7. ” Iko Iko” by James Crawford
8. “(I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My) Sister Kate” by The Original Dixieland Jass Band
9. “Maple Leaf Rag” by Scott Joplin

Notable events in pop music in 1912

In 1912, the first cross-country popular music tour occurred when W.C. Handy and his band traveled from Memphis to Chicago. Handy, known as the “Father of the Blues,” helped to popularize the genre with his song “The Memphis Blues.” Also this year, Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” became one of the first pop songs to achieve national popularity.

1913

Ranked by total paid downloads, these are the top songs of 1913.

Top songs of 1913

1. “My Sweetheart Went Away” – William Farrell
2. “Quaker Girl” – James F. Harrison
3. “Ragtime Cowboy Joe” – Frankie Marvin
4. “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbing Along” – Harry Woods
5. “Row, Row, Row” – Alfred Bryan
6. “Snappy Songs (Keep movin’, carryin’ on)” – Irving Berlin
7. “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” – Al Piantadosi
8. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” – Irving Berlin
9. “(I Want a) Big Butter and Egg Man” – Percy Venable
10. “The Darktown Strutters’ Ball”- Shelton Brooks

Notable events in pop music in 1913

In 1913, the top 40 pop songs in the United States were:

1. “Jerusalem” by Billie Murray
2. ” Oh, You Beautiful Doll” by Bert Williams
3. “Wait ‘Till the Sun Shines, Nellie” by Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth
4. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” by Irving Berlin
5. “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” by Leo Friedman and Beth Slater Whitson
6. “I Want a Girl (Just Like the Girl That Married Dear Old Dad)” by Harry Von Tilzer
7. “”A Good Man Is Hard to Find”” by Eddie Green
8. “Keep on the Sunny Side” by A. P. Carter
9. “Row, Row, Row” by Henry W. Sauer and Will Oakland
10. “(I Wish I Was in) Dixie’s Land” by Daniel Decatur Emmett

1914

The top 40 pop songs of 1914 include: 1. “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight” by Henry Burr and Albert Campbell 2. “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” by Al Piantadosi and Earl Fuller 3. “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away” by Paul Dresser 4. “Over There” by George M. Cohan 5. “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” by Jean Schwartz and Joe Young 6. “Smiles” by J. Will Callahan and Lee Sisson 7. “Somebody’s Sweetheart I Want to Be” by Ernest R. Ball and Harry Von Tilzer 8. “Waiting for the Robert E. Lee” by Lewis F. Muir and L. Wolfe Gilbert 9. “When Alexander Takes His Ragtime Band to France” by Irving Berlin 10. “When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose” by Percy Wenrich and Jack Mahoney

Top songs of 1914

1. “Beale Street Blues” by W.C. Handy
2. “Come Josephine in My Flying Machine” by Fred Fisher
3. “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” by Al Piantadosi and Alfred Bryan
4. “Keep on the Sunny Side” by A.P. Carter
5. “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” by Leo Friedman and Beth Slater Whitson
6. “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away” by Paul Dresser
7. “Over There” by George M. Cohan
8. “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile” by Felix Powell and George Asaf
9. “Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!” by Charley Straight and Jules Jordan
10. “Till We Meet Again” by Percy Wenrich

Notable events in pop music in 1914

1914 was a big year for pop music. Early on in the year, Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” became a huge hit, and would go on to become one of the most iconic songs of the 1910s. Also in 1914, James Reese Europe’s society orchestra made history by being the first African American band to ever perform at Carnegie Hall. And in November of 1914, George Gershwin made his professional debut as a songwriter with his song “Swanee.”

1915

In 1915, the top songs were:

Top songs of 1915

1. “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” by Al Jolson
2. “Till We Meet Again” by Percy Wenrich
3. “Roses of Picardy” by Haydn Wood
4. “The Sunshine of Paradise Alley” by Jefferson Hascall
5. “Too Much Mustard” by Irving Berlin
6. “They Didn’t Believe Me” by Jerome Kern
7. “Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts for Soldiers” by Jerry Waldo and his Orchestra
8. “Smiles” by Jules Levy and his Orchestra
9. “Yip, I Addy I Ay!” By Cliff Hess and his Orchestra
10. “#1 Blues” by Original Dixieland Jazz Band

Notable events in pop music in 1915

1915 was an interesting year for pop music. The First World War had begun, and many popular songs were patriotic in nature. One of the most popular songs of 1915 was “The Story of the Volunteer,” which told the story of a Canadian soldier who enlisteds to fight in the war. Another popular song, “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” was a eulogy for British soldiers who had died in battle.

1915 was also the year that Jelly Roll Morton released his first recordings. Morton was a jazz pianist and one of the pioneers of the genre. His recordings, which featured such songs as “Jelly Roll Blues” and “King Porter Stomp,” were some of the first examples of jazz being recorded and commercially released.

1916

1. “I Ain’t Got Nobody” – Sophie Tucker

Top songs of 1916

1. “Smiles” by J. Will Callahan and Lee S. Roberts
2. “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” by Al Piantadosi and Bert Lee
3. “Keep the Home Fires Burning” by Ivor Novello and Lena Guilbert Ford
4. “Over There” by George M. Cohan
5. “It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary” by Jack Judge and Harry Williams
6. “When the Boys Come Home” by Henri Schertzinger
7. “The Sidewalks of New York (East Side, West Side)” by Charles B. Lawlor and James W. Blake
8.” Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile!” by George Asaf and Felix Powell
9.” Yankee Doodle Boy” by Cohan
10.” Alexander’s Ragtime Band” by Irving Berlin

Notable events in pop music in 1916

1916 was a big year for pop music, with a number of chart-topping hits and iconic performers making their debuts. Highlights of the year include:

-The first ever pop music charts are published in the US, with “Oh, You Beautiful Doll” by peerless female singer Nora Bayes topping the inaugural list.

-Another female singer makes her mark on the charts with “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier,” an anti-war anthem sung by mother-of-four Al Jolson that reaches number one.

-Meanwhile in the UK, sheet music sales reach an all-time high thanks to the popularity of patriotic songs like “Keep the Home Fires Burning” and “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag.”

With the outbreak of World War One, many popular songs reflect the conflict, including “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” and “Roses of Picardy.” Ragtime and jazz start to make an impact on pop music, with hits like “Avalon” by crooner Al Jolson and “Dixieland Jass Band One Step” by Original Dixieland Jass Band.

1917

In the year 1917, sheet music sales were at an all-time high. The top songs of the year were: “Smiles” by J. Will Callahan, “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” by Harry Carroll, and “Over There” by George M. Cohan. People were dancing the foxtrot, the tango, and the waltz to these popular tunes.

Top songs of 1917

1. “Over There” – George M. Cohan
2. “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” – Harry Carroll and Joseph McCarthy
3. “Put On A Happy Face” – Clark Gesner
4. “It’s A Long, Long Way To Tipperary” – Jack Judge and Harry Williams
5. “How ‘Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down On The Farm?” – Sam Lewis, Joe Young, and Walter Donaldson
6. “Till We Meet Again” – Richard A. Whiting and Raymond Egan
7. “Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!” – Max Hoffman and Jules Stein
8. “(I Wanted You To Tell Me) I Wasn’t Dreaming” – Burt Gillett and Harold Fraser-Simson
9. “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody” – Jean Schwartz, Joe Young, and Bert Grant

Notable events in pop music in 1917

1917 was an important year for pop music, as it saw the rise of ragtime and the beginning of the Jazz Age. Some of the biggest hits of the year were “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” by Irving Berlin, “St. Louis Blues” by W. C. Handy, and “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” by Shelton Brooks. These songs would go on to become some of the most iconic and influential pieces of music in history. The popularity of ragtime and jazz would only continue to grow in the years to come, cementing their place in American culture.

1918

Top songs of 1918

1. “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree)” by Thomas A. Dorsey
2. “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” by Harry Carrol
3. “Ja-Da” by Bob Carleton
4. “Over There” by George M. Cohan
5. “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile!” by Felix Powell and George Asaf
6. “Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” by Jean Schwartz and Sam M. Lewis
7. “Smiles” by J. Will Callahan and Lee Sissle
8. “Swinging Down the Lane” by Isham Jones
9. “(Back Home Again In) Indiana” by James F. Hanley
10. “Till We Meet Again” by Richard A Whiting

Notable events in pop music in 1918

The top pop song of 1918 was “Over There” by George M. Cohan. Published just weeks after the U.S. entered World War I, the patriotic tune became an instant hit, selling more than 1 million copies in its first year. Other popular songs of the year included “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” by Harry Carroll and “Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” by Irving Berlin. Jazz also began to enter the pop music scene in 1918, with hits such as “Tiger Rag” by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band and “Ja-Da” by Bob Carleton.

1919

The top 40 pop songs of 1919 include “Oh, You Beautiful Doll” by Al Jolson, “Swingin’ Down the Lane” by Isham Jones, and “Ain’t We Got Fun” by Richard A. Whiting. All of these artists and songs are still popular today.

Top songs of 1919

1. “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” by Jan Garber
2. “Oh, You Beautiful Doll” by The California Melody Boys
3. “Till We Meet Again” by Ernest V. Stoneman
4. “Swanee” by Al Jolson
5. “How ‘Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?)” by Billy Murray
6. “Over There” by George M. Cohan
7. “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” by Al Jolson
8. “That’s What I Call a Pal” by Byron G. Harlan
9. “‘Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” by Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians
10. “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile!” by George Asaf

Notable events in pop music in 1919

1919 was an important year in the history of pop music. In January, the first issue of Billboard magazine was published, which would go on to become one of the most important music publications in the world. Also in January, sheet music sales reached an all-time high, thanks to the popularity of war-themed songs. March saw the release of “Oh, Boy!” by Al Jolson, which would become one of the biggest hits of the decade. June saw the release of “Swanee” by George Gershwin, which would also become one of the biggest hits of the decade. December saw the release of “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin, which would go on to become one of the most important pieces of American pop music.